Anyone have any experience with Pancreatitis?

Rescued a Collie mix in mid December. He was about 15 pounds under weight when we got him and was never too excited when it came to food. After a bought of vomiting and diarrhea mixed with blood we had x-rays and blood work done and the vet determined that it was Pancreatitis. We took him off of his old food which was Innova dry food and Evo soft food to a prescription-only low fat food that we mix with some skinless chicken breast. He also gets two doses of Pepsid a day.

He is doing a lot better; he has gained about 15 pounds and has only had one mild issue since the new diet has started. So we are happy about that. But my questions are: do any of you out there have any experience with Pancreatitis? If so, what treats have you found that seem to work within the very low fat diet that is needed?

We are coming up on spring and we will be spending a lot more time outside. We plan on doing some training and were looking for some treats that were good to use with his condition.

Also, if anyone has any additional tips or experiences with long term treatment of Pancreatitis it would be appreciated.

Have you been told that the pacreatitis is long term? My experience was that the condition was a secondary one to a permanent bowel disease and the pancreatitis cleared up with treatment. We were given stronger meds (sulcrate instead of pepcid and prednisone) as well as the low fat diet. We were told to feed smaller meals so as not to overwork the pancreas and added extra fiber to those meals. We had to change the diet a few times and depending on the carb source I tried to make up a treat. (eg with the Duck and Potato food I made some kind of baked mash potato "cookie") Sometimes I just soaked his kibble and formed the mush into larger "cookies" and baked it. If your dog can tolerate certain ingredients there are a lot of homemade recipes for dog treats. I did see a product that was dehydrated chicken strips that resembled a rawhide jerky but who knows what else they do to preserve it. You're better off making your own. My guy isn't picky so we took small containers of his kibble to the park as treats giving him a few, calling it his treat and he was perfectly happy.I think WE are more concerned about what it looks and tastes like than they are. Good luck with your boy. He is lucky to have you.

When Reggie was close to a year old he was having problems with frequent and loose BMs. He also started vomiting and was losing weight. Tests showed that he had pancreatitis and our vet also suspected bowel issues. To make the long story short after a course of meds and diet changes which seemed not to be working we had a colonoscopy done which confirmed a condition called Inflammatory bowel disease:eoinophilic gastroenteritis. It's a condition that can be controlled but never cured. His diet cannot contain beef, chicken, gluten and other proteins that he might be allergic to. It's an autoimmune condition. He is currently on a special kibble that has hydolyzed soy as the protein and Tylosin powder. It seems to work for him. The pancreatitis went away as it was caused by the inflammation in his bowel therefore considered a secondary condition. He was on Prednisone for a while and that was slowly cut down then out. Your vet should check your guys pancreas levels again at some point to let you know if you have things under control. Hopefully he is on the mend. From the picture he looks pretty cute!

Thanks for the good info. A lot of that makes sense based on what we have experienced. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a primary issue like a bowel problem that is creating the pancreatitis problem. The food and the pepsid seem to work, but we are still hearing a lot of noises coming from his stomach, so the issue hasn't gone away, it just seems to have been minimized to a certain degree.

He is still stretching a lot which can indicate that he is still having some stomach discomfort.

We are definately headed in the right direction as he has a real interest in food and has gained a good amount of weight in the last 4 weeks to the point that he is no longer under weight.

We sometimes get the noises too. It happens mostly in the morning so the vet suggested a bedtime "snack" (some of his kibble) or the dose of pepsid. There is a stronger med called Sulcrate which coats the stomach. It's a milky liquid that gets squirted in his mouth and it must be taken two hours after and an hour before food. It calms inflammation. I keep a calendar with notes on various symptoms and reactions. That helps us determine what's working. Our food trials lasted six to eight weeks and when he couldn't adjust we had to try a new food with a protein source that he hadn't had before. You may find yourself having to do this too. Seems like Woody's getting better and according to your other posts it sounds like he is enjoying his centuries old home with you.